Career and Education Opportunities for Layout Technicians in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Layout technician career and educational opportunities abound in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The national trend for layout technicians sees this job pool shrinking by about 11.6% over the next eight years. Layout technicians generally lay out reference points and dimensions on metal or plastic stock or workpieces, such as sheets, plates, or machine parts, for further processing.

Layout technicians earn about $17 hourly or $36,190 annually on average in Colorado and about $16 per hour or $34,920 per year on average nationally. Incomes for layout technicians are better than in the overall category of Foundry and Metal Work in Colorado, and better than the overall Foundry and Metal Work category nationally.

There are nineteen schools of higher education in the Colorado Springs area, including one within twenty-five miles of Colorado Springs where you can get a degree to start your career as a layout technician. Given that the most common education level for layout technicians is a high school diploma or GED, you can expect to spend only a short time training to become a layout technician if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Layout Technician

In general, layout technicians lay out reference points and dimensions on metal or plastic stock or workpieces, such as sheets, plates, or machine parts, for further processing. They also includes shipfitters.

Layout technicians fit and align fabricated components to be welded or assembled. They also lift and position workpieces in relation to surface plates, manually or with hoists. Equally important, layout technicians have to lay out and fabricate metal structural components such as plates and frames. Finally, layout technicians mark curves and welding symbols onto workpieces, using scribes, soapstones, punches, and hand drills.

Every day, layout technicians are expected to be able to see details at a very fine level of focus. It is also important that they visualize how things come together and can be organized.

It is important for layout technicians to locate center lines and verify template positions, using measuring instruments such as gauge blocks and dial indicators. They are often called upon to compute layout dimensions, and decide on and mark reference points on metal stock or workpieces for further processing, such as welding and assembly. They also formulate and develop layouts from blueprints and templates, applying knowledge of trigonometry, layout, effects of heat, and properties of metals. They are sometimes expected to formulate locations and sequences of cutting and welding operations, using compasses and rules. Somewhat less frequently, layout technicians are also expected to add dimensional details to blueprints or drawings made by other staff.

Layout technicians sometimes are asked to add dimensional details to blueprints or drawings made by other staff. And finally, they sometimes have to formulate and develop layouts from blueprints and templates, applying knowledge of trigonometry, layout, effects of heat, and properties of metals.

Like many other jobs, layout technicians must be reliable and be thorough and dependable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Colorado Springs include:

Buffing Machine Operator. Set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic work pieces.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Layout Technician Training

Pikes Peak Community College - Colorado Springs, CO

Pikes Peak Community College, 5675 S Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906-5498. Pikes Peak Community College is a large college located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 11,701 students. Pikes Peak Community College has an associate's degree program in Machine Shop Technology/Assistant which graduated two students in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs, Colorado photo by FlickreviewR

Colorado Springs is located in El Paso County, Colorado. It has a population of over 380,307, which has grown by 5.4% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Colorado Springs, 86, is well below the national average.

The three most popular industries for women in Colorado Springs are health care, educational services, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is construction, professional, scientific, and technical services, and accommodation and food services. The average travel time to work is about 21 minutes. More than 33.6% of Colorado Springs residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 12.2%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Colorado Springs is 7.0%, which is greater than Colorado's average of 6.6%.

The percentage of Colorado Springs residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 37.1%, is less than both the national and state average. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention and the Charismatic Churches Independent.

Colorado Springs is home to the Wilsons Ranch and the Flying W Ranch as well as Garden of the Gods and Acacia Park. Shopping malls in the area include Academy Center Shopping Center, Academy Place Shopping Center and Academy Place Shopping Center. Visitors to Colorado Springs can choose from Days Inn, Antlers Hilton Colorado Springs and Apache Court for temporary stays in the area.